Apparatus for skywriting



y 14, 1963 (5., R. COPELAND 3,089,271-

APPARATUS FOR SKYWRITING Filed Dec. 23, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 14,1963 G. R. COPELAND APPARATUS FOR SKYWRITING 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec.23, 1960 d .W Z Z 6 Z 3 d W 6 May 14, 1963 G. R. COPELAND APPARATUS FORSKYWRITING 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec. 25, 1960 Gbrdozaf (oefazzri May14, 1963 G. R. COPELAND 3,0 7

- APPARATUS FOR SKYWRITING Filed Dec. 23, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 HHHH W'I HH II n n H 11 1,, DI LIIJ ILI l 1 Illlll minim g m l H "i llGordon/Z United States Patent 3,089,271 APRARATUS FOR SKYWRITING GordonR. Copeland, Park Ridge, 11]., assignor to Dorothy B. Copeland, ParkRidge, 111. Filed Dec. 23, 1960, Ser. No. 78,151 8 Claims. (Cl. 40-213)This invention relates to the art of so-called skywriting, moreespecially, having for an object to provide an apparatus and method forand of effecting in the firrnament the formation and visual presentationof intelligence, delineation and/ or combinations thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus operablewithin or from an airplane or other type offiight effecting andsustaining vehicle whereby advertisements (word, design and/or symbol)line drawings or pictures, messages, news and other intelligible andkindred embodiments may be rapidly and effectively formed and presentedin the sky for reading and viewing, particularly, from below.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a skywriting apparatusof the character above stated which, by reason of its novelconstruction, will produce beneficial, new and unexpected advantages andresults, including the capacity to form and present, for viewing, in thefirmament substantially any type of copy, design, drawing, intelligence,picture or symbol capable of being produced by scanning lines, orcombinations thereof, in but a fraction of the time heretofore requiredby now existing apparatus and methods, even where such presentationscapable of being effected thereby.

More specifically, an object of the invention is to provide an apparatusfor and a method of forming an aerial sign which is composed ofincremental puffs or trails of smoke (vapor) emitted at properlypretimed intervals from a manifold line containing smoke producingmaterial and automatically operated discharge or release valves; themanifold line and all equipment required for the formation of the signbeing carried by an aircraft flying a level and straight course at apredetermined speed in the sky in a single pass, and capable of rapidlydrawing, printing, writing or depicting preprepared pattern guidedvisual matter in the air by means of so-called skywriting in asubstantially vertical instead of a horizontal plane without regard tothe style of drawing, printing or writing insolong as such can beeffected by line smoke formations.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus forpresenting viewable matters in the air or sky, including letters,numerals, symbols, line drawings or layouts, etc., by the forming ofsmoke or vapor trails therein, these in accordance with prepreparedpatterns, using, in some instances, a chemical material (a liquid orcombinations of liquids) having an affinity for moisture which whendischarged into the air and supplied with moisture will produce avisible vapor or smoke, the discharge of said material being effected inpattern precontrolled pulsings emitted from automatically operatedvalves carried by and communicating with a manifold which in turn iscarried by and depends or otherwise extends from a moving aircraft.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus, as abovenoted, having the valved chemical matter carrying and dischargingmanifold so constructed that said matter is supplied thereby to theautomatically controlled and operated discharge valves at a constantlyuniform and equalized pressure therethroughout, hence, assuring itsdischarge from all of the valves into the air at an overall even oruniform pressure and in consequence, assuring an accurate forming of thesmoke or vapor trail pulsings in faithful accordance with a particu-Patented May 14, 1963 ICC lar control pattern whereby to visuallyreproduce the same in the air or sky.

A further object of the invention resides in providing to the manifoldline, means whereby it can be selectively adjusted, moved or shifted todifferent slanting (oblique) positions relatively to the carryingaircraft in order to obtain better and more convenient readability orvisibility of its firmament effected presentations for observersdirectly or substantially directly therebelow.

The foregoing, as well as other objects, advantages and meritoriousteachings of my invention, will be in part obvious and in part pointedout in the following described disclosure thereof, when taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, it being understood that theform of the invention presented herein is precise and What is nowconsidered to be the better mode of embodying its principles, but thatother and further modifications and changes may be made in specificembodiment without departing from its essential features.

The invention affords material advantages and improvements over theheretofore known and/or practiced methods of skywriting in that by andwith its usage, substantially any type of copy, design, intelligence,picture, and/or combinations thereof, that can be produced by linedrawings or formations, can be reproduced in the air or firmament.Moreover, such reproductions can be effected in periods of time muchless than those required for like sky written reproductions by prevalentmethods. Consequently, a sign, picture or symbol, or combinationsthereof, having visual acuity in the air or firmament can be elfectedrapidly enough to be observed and/or read in its entirety rather thanrequiring an objectionable length of time for it to be completed orspelled out. Also, this rapid reproduction in the air or firmarnent,permits display thereof in its entirety, rather than fragmental orpartial display, as by dissipation or partial dissipation such as occursand is objectionably experienced "with said prevalent methods.

The method and the apparatus for practicing the invention also permitsubstantially unlimited changeability of reproduction copy, without thenecessity of making major adjustments or modifications, while anairplane carrying the apparatus is in flight. Thereby, an original copycan be repeated, or several different copies can be reproduced in thefirmament during a single flight of the airplane.

Furthermore, because the sky written reproduction is effected in a nearor substantially vertical plane, instead of a horizontal plane, as isthe present practice, a greatly improved observation or viewing frombelow and at a distance, is assured.

As heretofore stated, my invention includes, in addition to the methodfor accomplishing the skywriting technique, apparatus for its carryingout or performance. The apparatus shown and described may, of course, bemodified in certain respects, though as herein presented, it is capableof effective and satisfactory functioning.

Considered in its broad aspect, said apparatus, portable in an aircraftor other flight attaining and sustaining vehicle, includes (1) apreferably electrically operated multivalve manifold or boom which canbe extended below or from the aircraft; a motor driven drum or means forstoring the manifold within the aircraft and for paying-out the sametherefrom, and such plumbing as is required to pass a smoke or vaporproducing chemical or matter from the aircraft source of supply orstorage to the drum or means, thence, to the manifold;

(2) a terminating weight connected to the manifold having an aerodynamicenvelope and means for stabilizing its motion with respect to anairstream, plus means for rendering the same dirigible to the extentthat the carrying envelope will have the ability, through controls, tocause the manifold to be slanted or deflected either to the left orright of its normal vertical axis by shifting ofits lower end, wherebyto improve viewability of produced skywriting' from below, and,

(3) a photo scanning means, i.e., a photoelectric readout device whichscans a moving tape, cooperatively associated therewith, and sends outan electrical open signal to the appropriate valve or valves of themanifold on the basis of imprinted, inscribed or punched data appearingon the tape, whereby controlled incremental puffs or trails of smoke orvapor will be emitted by said valve or valves.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a view showing a sky written sign effected by the usage ofmy invention, the aircraft carrying the producing apparatus being shownin association therewith.

FIGURE 2 is a detail in perspective showing increments or puffs of smokeas emitted from the skywriting manifold or boom, illustrating the stepsof expansion thereof until they merge into a homogeneous body.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary side elevation, partly in longitudinalsection, showing a portion of the apparatus carrying aircraft, theskywriting manifold or boom and the'dirigible weight, of aerodynamicdesign, connected to and carried by the lower end of the manifold.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail in longitudinal section of aport-ion of the skywri-ting manifold showing the smoke or vaporproducing chemical carrying hose, one of the pressure equalizingcylinders fixedly secured thereto, an eleotromagnetically actuatedejection valve and nozzle, and the flexible form retaining envelopeencasing the assembly.

FIGURE 5 is a transverse section taken on the line 5-5 of FIGURE 4,looking in the direction in which the arrows point.

FIGURE 6 is a like section taken on the line 66 of FIGURE 4, looking inthe direction in which the arrows points.

FIGURE 7 is a similar sectional view taken on the line 77 of FIGURE 4,looking in the direction in which the arrows point.

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view through thefuselage of the apparatus carrying aircraft showing the positioning andmounting of the manifold winding or receiving drum therein.

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged fragmental vertical section through the fuselageof the aircraft showing the manifold receiving and winding drum inelevation together with the manifold level laying means and the smoke orvapor producing chemical storage and plumbing.

FIGURE 10 is a detail in perspective of the photoelectric scanningdevice, showing the relationship of the photoelectric cell housings, thelight source housing and the copy carrying sheet or tape in scanningrelation thereto.

FIGURE '11 is an enlarged and fragmentary horizontal section taken onthe line 11-11 of FIGURE 12, looking in the direction in which thearrows point.

FIGURE 12 is a section taken on the line 1212 of FIGURE 11, looking inthe direction in which the arrows point, and,

FIGURE 13 is an enlarged detail showing the construction and/ or designof the slide guiding head of one of the photoelectric cell containers.

Referring in detail to the accompanying drawings wherein I have shownthe aforesaid form of my invention, the numeral 1 indicates, generally,an airplane having sufiicient load area and lift efficiency, employed tocarry and practice the same, though it will be understood that othertypes of aircraft (flight efiecting and sustaining vehicles) may besubstituted therefor, such as condi-' tions or preference may dictate.

Suitable flooring Z is provided within the airplane fuselage and at asuitable point thereon, receives and fixedly supports vertical pillarsor standards 3 having bearings 3' on their upper ends rotatablysupporting a drum 4 transversely of the fuselage area, as shown inFIGURES 8 and 9 of the drawings. One end portion of the shaft 5supporting the drum is hollow, opening into and without it and has anoutward extension 5' provided on its free end with one element of a slipfitting 6, While the inner portion thereof communicates with an outletway 7 in an end portion of the drum periphery, for a purpose hereinafterdescribed.

The periphery of the drum 4 is formed throughout its width with aspirally laid groove or way 8 beginning adjacent the outlet way 7, thelength of which substantially coincides with that of the apparatusmanifold 13, also hereinafter described, whereby to wholly receive thesame.

Rotary motion is transmitted to the drum from an electric motor 9 bymeans of a belt 10 engaged with and about pulleys 1 1 and 12 mounted,respectively, on the motor and drum shaft.

To guide the manifold or boom 13 onto and effect its spiral winding in asingle layer about and along the drum 4 in the spiral way 8, ascrew-threaded shaft 14, parallel to the drumperiphery and driven fromthe motor 9 through gearing 15, is journalled in appropriate bearings16. Relatively spaced guide roller carrying bracket arms 17 havinginternally screw-threaded sleeves are threadedly engaged with the shaftand have the manifold threaded therebetween (see FIGURE 9). Thus, withcollective rotation of the drum and the shaft, the guide rollers willtraverse the width of the drum in parallelism thereto and direct orguide said manifold onto or from the drum.

Other and fixedly mounted relatively spaced guide rollers 18 arepositioned on the fuselage bottom below the floor positioned rollers andon the opposite sides of an opening in said bottom whereby the manifold13 will be satisfactorily guided during its paying-out from orwinding-in onto the drum 4.

The manifold or boom 13 is of a single length (two hundred feet more orless) and includes in its assembly or construction, a flexible conduitor hose 19, a plurality or series of relatively equi-spaced cylinders 20fixedly secured to the conduit throughout its length and comrnunicabletherewith, flexible electrical cables 21 comprising relatively insulatedconductors or wiring, and a flexible form retaining envelope or casing22 of suitable aerodynamic design receiving and housing the hose,cylinders and cables. If required, flexible steel cables 23* may bereceived and anchored within the envelope throughout its length forimproving its tensile strength.

The hose 19, of desired cross-sectional area, shape and length, ispreferably positioned adjacent the normally leading edge of the envelope22, while the equi-spaced cylinders 20 are positioned rearwardly thereofin fixed juxtaposed relation, as shown in FIGURE 4 of the drawings.

Said cylinders are of complemental construction and form, eachconsisting of a form sustaining though flexible compartmented body. Thenormally upper compartment communicates with the hose 19 by way of asleeve 24 therein, one end of which is flared, at 24, to provide a valveseat arranged within the cylinder. A coniform valve 25 is engageable onthe seat under urge or pressure exerted thereon by a coiled spring 26,the tension of which is selectively adjustable or variable by acoaxially disposed screw 26' threadedly engaged in and through the outerwall of the cylinder with its outer end kerfed and exposed to facilitateits screw adjustment.

The cylinder lower compartment, of less area than the upper, receives anoutwardly and laterally discharging valved jet nozzle 27 whose inner endopens into and communicates with the lower end of the upper compartmentchamber. Suitable electromagnetic operating means 28 are received andretained within the compartment and are connected to the nozzle valvefor automatically actuating the same to open and/or closed positions, itbeing noted in this connection that whereas the jet nozzle dischargesoutwardly of and from the envelope, it preferably, does not protrudetherefrom, for obvious reasons.

In order that electrical energy can be selectively supplied to theelectromagnetic valve operating means, conductors 29 are extended fromthe cable 21 within and extending throughout the length of the envelope22 and are connected thereto.

A terminating weight device 30 having an envelope of aerodynamic designis connected to the free and, at times, lower end of the manifold,serving to retain it as nearly perpendicular as is practical, whenextended. Airfoils 31 and paravanes 32 are provided to the device andfunction, respectively, to stabilize its motion with respect to anairstream and to effect a controlled slanting or obliquiug thereofeither to the left or the right from its extended substantially verticalposition whereby to improve the viewability of produced skywriting frombelow. Selective operation of the paravanes, it will be understood, willbe effected from within the equipped aircraft by suitable controls (notshown), such for example as the standard type of Servo controls.

The photoelectric readout or scanning unit of the invention comprises ahousing 33 of rectangular form, the upstanding walls of which areintermediately inwardly shouldered, as at 33, while the bottom and topthereof are open. A cap-like flat or plane support 34, of shape and sizeas will permit its snug though removable engagement over the inwardlyoffset upper portions of the housing walls, is positioned over the openupper end of the housing, as shown in FIGURE 12 of the drawings, and hasa plurality of equi-spaced relatively parallel ways 35, of correspondinglengths, formed in and transversely thereof. An in-line series ofvertically disposed containers 36, each housing a photoelectric cell(not shown) are received and movably supported by the caplike support.The number of containers and cells corresponds to the number ofcylinders 20 and electromagnetically operated jet nozzles 27 of themanifold. To effect such support, each container has a verticallypositioned screw-threaded shank 37 fixedly and centrally connected toits upper end, immovably receiving a ribbed nut 38 thereon. Followingprepositioning or adjustment of the ribbed nut on their shanks, theupper extended portionsof the shanks are individually engaged throughthe ways 35, as shown in FIGURE 13, and relatively slidably adjusted andarranged in the manner shown in FIGURE 11 of the drawings. Thereupon,lock washers 39* and knurled lock nuts 40 are turned onto the extendedupper ends of the shanks, positively locking their respectivephotoelectric cell containers 36 in a particularly effected linerelationing and against turning movement.

Electrical conductors, indicated by the numeral 41, are connected to theterminals of each container held photoelectric cell, extending to asuitable source of electrical energy (not shown) and to the electricalconductors passed through the manifold electric cables 21 to theindividual electromagnetic operating means 28 for the jet nozzles 27.

As a light source for the photoelectric means of the scanning unit, aplurality of linear electric lamps 42 v(fiorescent or other) andelectrical energy supplied contact brackets therefor are mounted in atray-like receptacle 43 received in the lower portion of the housing 33below said scanning means and the shouldered portion 33 of the housing.

A translucent or transparent shelf 44 is received and horizontallysupported in channelled strips 45 secured to the walls of the housingbelow its shouldered portion 33' spaced from the lower ends of thephotoelectric scanners,

permitting the passage of a copy or layout supplied pattern sheet 46between it and said scanners. The sheet is 6 horizontally movable orslideable through channelled guide strips 46' fixed to the end walls ofthe housing in spaced cooperative relation to the lower ends of thescanners. Rollers 47, mounted in housing wall attached brackets 47'flatly engage and direct the sheet in such movement.

The copy or pattern sheet 46, it should be noted, is as wide as thephotoelectric scanning unit will receptively permit. It can be of anydesired length and is fed or moved through the unit by means ofrelatively juxtaposed and suitable supported driver rolls 48, one ofwhich is connected to and rotated by a likewise supported electric motor49, and between which the pattern sheet is threaded and frictionallyengaged. Spools 50 are employed .to receive the sheet and to assure itseffective passage to and by the scanning unit, being appropriatelyrotatably supported in aligned relation to the feed rollers 47. Thus, asthe copy or pattern sheet passes between the light source (lamps 42) andthe photoelectric cells, from one spool 50 to the other, as shown inFIGURE 10 of the drawings, the copy thereon interrupts the lightentering said cells. Thereby, the various individual electrical circuitsincluding the photoelectric cells and the electro- .magneticallyoperated valved jet nozzles 27 are responsively activated with resultantopening and closing of the latter.

Smoke or vapor producing material such as titanium tetrachloride (TiClemployed for forming the skywriting characters or figures, is stored intanks 51 suitably arranged and supported within the aircraft fuselage 1and is maintained under pressure by pressurized dry air in tanks 52 alsoarranged and supported within the aircraft fuselage and connected to thefirst mentioned tanks by valved conduits 53. The tanks 51intercommunicate and one thereof has a valved outflow pipe 54 connectedthereto, the outer end of which is provided with a slip fitting .6companionate to and joinable with the hereinbefore described drum shaftequipped slip fitting 6. In consequence, it will be seen that as andwhen required, TiCl or other vapor producing material will be suppliedto the hose 19 of the manifold 13.

In order that electrical connections will be made between thephotoelectric scanning unit and the electric wiring to and including theelectromagnetically operated jet valves within the cables 21 carried bythe manifold 13, following its lowering to a skywriting position, aquick disconnect plug 55, suitably electrically connected by wiring 56to the photoelectric cells of the scanning unit, is plugged into acompanionate fitting 55' and is disconnected therefrom before themanifold is raised or rewound on the drum 4.

In practicing the method and operation of the apparatus embodying myinvention, it is preferable, but not necessary, that a copy or patternsheet 46 depicting, illustrating or bearing that which is to be skywritten be first produced. The sheet can be made from translucent paper,translucent or transparent plastic, etc. The copy preparation(intelligence, designs, drawings or symbols and/or combina-tionsthereof) is done on the sheet with an opaque or semi opaque material, asfor example, ink. With completion, the copy sheet is preferably wound onone of the spools 50'.

Assuming that an apparatus equipped aircraft, including smoke or vaporproducing material, is airborne, the copy provided spool 50 is properlypositioned with relation to the photoelectric scanning unit with areceiving spool 50 also properly positioned to receive the sheet as itpasses from said unit.

The drum 4 is now rotated in a direction to pay-out the manifold 13 toits full and extended length below the aircraft. When so paid-out, themanifold, because of its flexibility, weight and the wind resistance itencounters passing through the air, will assume or take a curvaturesubstantially like that shown in FIGURE 1 of the drawings. Therefore, toassure and effect vertical presentation of the later-1y producedincrements or trails of smoke in the sky, the individual photoelectriccell containers 36 are moved to and adjusted in their respectivetransverse Ways 35 in the support 34 to relative positions where theywill conform to the'curvature of the manifold. In consequence, the topand upper of said laterly jet nozzle produced smoke trails will precedethe lower ones to such an extent that when the lower ones are effectedby the lower jet nozzles on the curved manifold, all thereof will bevertical. Of course, when this curvature adjustment has been establishedor matched as between the manifold and the adjusted containers 36, itwill remain constant for all other and subsequently sky written signs,irrespective of their compositions. Also, further enhancement of the skywritten signs and their viewability from below will be eifected bycausing the manifold to be shifted either to the left or right of theaircraft by operating the servo control therein to adjust the paravanes32 on the envelope of the weight device 30 to positions whereby saidmanifold will be slanted or obliqued to or at an angle to its normalvertical axis, i.e., 30 or 40 from the vertical.

With the manifold 13 and aerodynamic weight member 30 in extendedpositions below the aircraft ready for pattern controlled ejection ofthe TiCl from its nozzles 27, electrical connection is made between thefittings 5555' electrically interconnecting the nozzles, via theelectrical wiring in the manifold contained cables 21 and the conductors56 with the photoelectric cells individually housed in the containers36. TiCL, is supplied to the manifold hose 19 from the now opened supply51 under air pressure from the tanks 52 and passes therefrom into theequi-spaced cylinders 20 by the previously spring pressure adjustedsupply regulating valves 25. Thereby, the pressure of the smokeproducing material is maintained relatively constant and substantiallyuniform within said cylinders, from the top to the bottom of themanifold, each of which has a head of compressible air, indicated at 57,trapped in its upper end (see FIGURE 4 of the drawings).

The photoelectric cells of the scanning unit are now energized and theprepared copy or pattern carrying sheet is fed or passed by the driverrolls 48 between said cells and the light source 42, rolling from onespool 50 onto the other, as shown in FIGURE of the drawings. Thus, asthe scanning unit accepts the copy carrying sheet, the opaque orsemi-opaque layout of the to be sky written display thereon willinterrupt the light entering the cells. In so doing, these efiectedchanges of light intensity detected by the cells will cause the sendingof electrical open signals to the electromagnetic operating means 28whereby to open the appropriate valves and cause the responsive jetnozzles to emit increments or puffs of smoke producing material into theair on the basis of the copy or pattern carrying sheet and effect itsproduction in the firmament, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawingsand indicated at 58. In this connection, it will be borne in mind thatthe number of photoelectric cells in the scanning unit equal the numberof electromagnetically operated valve jet nozzles and, of course, equalthe number of increments, pufis or trails 58 that will make up the smokewritten sky display or presentation.

The prepared copy or pattern carrying sheet 46 may be rerun through thescanning unit to effect repeated reproduction of the sky writtendisplay, or said sheet may be provided with duplicates thereof forcontinuous or consecutive passing through the scanning unit. By the sametoken, the sheet may have a plurality of different layouts thereonwhereby different smoke written or efiected displays may be reproducedin the sky from the equipped lane. P The nozzle ejected increments orpuffs 58 of smoke producing material will expand and merge, followingtheir ejection, and form homogeneous bodies, such as indicated at 59.Thus, the resulting transition will resemble that which is illustratedby FIGURE 1 of the drawings, wherein the numeral one is shown asconsisting of a plurality of not yet merged smoke increments or puffs,and the numeral six is shown as being a solid or homogeneous body suchas will be formed as and when said increments or puffs are expanded andmerged.

Because a smoke constituted display or presentation effected by and withmy invention will be written rapidly, dissipation of the fore partthereof, before it is completed, will be prevented. Therefore, a longersign may be effected in its entirety without the need of an observerWaiting an objectionable length of time for it to be completed orspelled out-animus dissipation-as is the case with now prevalent formsor methods of skywriting. Also, it will be understood and appreciatedthat the data or layout provided to a copy or pattern carrying sheet,such as indicated at 46, may be in form of printing, script or handwriting prepared during the actual flight of an equipped aircraft, aswhen a message or the like should be transmitted by radio or othermethods of communication to the equipped aircraft and then prepared, asabove explained, for skywriting thereby.

In the practicing of my invention in arid areas, i.e., in air having amaterially reduced moisture content, it may become necessary tosupplement the increments, puffs or trails of the smoke producingmaterial (TiCl ejected by the hereinbefore described jet nozzles withpredetermined quantities of moisture in order to assure its rapid andeffectual smoke conversion. To such end, it will be understood that themanifold 13 may be constructed to include a suitable form of liquidsupplied hose appropriately valved to cooperate with the smoke producingjet nozzles.

With completion of a skywriting operation, such as above, it will beunderstood that the scanning unit is disconnected from the manifold drum4 by disengaging the quick detachable electrical connection 55 from itscompanionate element 55' and, of course, discontinuing the supply ofsmoke producing mate-rial to the manifold hose 19. Concurrently, thescanning unit is rendered inoperative by breaking its connection withits source of electrical supply. Thereupon, the manifold winding drum isrotated in a direction to coil said manifold in a single layertherealong by the laying action of the guide rollers 17 moving over andalong the screw-threaded shaft 14 which, along with the drum 4, isdriven by the motor 9. Thereby, the weight member 30 will bejuxtapositioned with relation to the underside of the aircraft fuselage.

To assure safety, the weight member 30 may be and preferably is providedwith a suitable type of flasher signal light 60 having electrical energysupplied thereto from a suitable source (not shown).

I claim:

1. An apparatus for forming smoke constituted characters in the airincluding, amongst others, letters, numerals, pictures or symbols orcombinations thereof, comprising a manifold carried by and extendiblefrom a vehicle, a plurality of relatively longitudinally spaced valveddischarge nozzles on and communicating with the manifold, electricallyoperated means for opening and closing the nozzle valves, and aplurality of relatively adjustable guide pattern scanning photoelectriccells individually connected to the individual electrically operatedmeans for activating the same.

2. An apparatus for forming smoke constituted characters in the airincluding, amongst others, letters, numerals, pictures or symbols orcombinations thereof, comprising a vehicle carried and extendiblemanifold, a plurality of valved discharge nozzles along andcommunicating with the manifold, first means for opening and closing thenozzle valves, a housing within the vehicle having a plurality ofrelatively parallel and transversely disposed ways formed in the topthereof, and a plurality of guide pattern scanning photoelectric cellsindividually supported Within the housing from the top thereofadjustable along said ways and connected to the [first means foractivating the same.

3. An apparatus for forming smoke constituted characters in the airincluding, amongst others, letters, numerals, pictures or symbols orcombinations thereof, comprising a manifold carried by and extendiblefrom a veihicle, a plurality of spaced valved discharge nozzles alongand communicating with the manifold, electrically operated means foropening and closing the nozzle valves, a housing within the vehiclehaving a guide pattern receiving way therethrough, and a plurality ofguide pattern scanning photoelectric cells individually supported withinthe housing adjustable to different positions transversely of the sameand in parallel relation cooperatively positioned with relation to saidway, said cells being individually electrically connected to theindividual electrically operated means for activating the same.

4. An apparatus for forming smoke constituted characters in the airincluding, amongst others, letters, numerals, pictures or symbols orcombinations thereof, comprising a manifold carried by and extendiblefrom a vehicle, an aerodynamically designed weight carried on the freeend of said manifold, means on said weight for causing the same, when inmotion, to be moved laterally whereby to slant said manifold at an angleto the perpendicular, a plurality of valved discharge nozzles along andcommunicating with the manifold, first means for opening and closing thenozzle valves, and photoelectric guide pattern scanning meanscooperatively associated with said first means for operating the same.

5. An apparatus for forming smoke constituted characters in the airincluding, amongst others, letters, numerals, pictures or symbols orcombinations thereof, comprising a manifold carried by and extendiblefrom a vehicle, a plurality of chambered cylinders along andcommunicable with the manifold, pressure actuated adjustable valveswithin the cylinders controlling communication between the same and themanifold, valved discharged nozzles within each of the cylinders, meansfor opening and closing the nozzle valves, and photoelectric guidepattern scanning means cooperatively associated with said last mentionedmeans for activating the same.

6. An apparatus for forming smoke constituted characters in the airincluding, amongst others, letters, numerals, pictures or symbols orcombinations thereof, comprising a manifold carried by and extendiblefrom a vehicle, a plurality of chambered cylinders along andcommunicable with the manifold, pressure responsive and activated valvemeans within the cylinders controlling communication between the sameand the manifold, valved discharge nozzles within and communicating witheach of the cylinders, electrically operated means for opening andclosing the nozzle valves, and a plurality of relatively adjustableguide pattern scanning photoelectric cells individually connected to theindividual electrically operated means for activating the same.

7. An apparatus for forming smoke constituted characters in the airincluding, amongst others, letters, numerals, pictures or symbols orcombinations thereof, comprising a manifold carried by and extendiblefrom a vehicle, a plurality of chambered cylinders along andcommunicable with the manifold, pressure responsive valves controllingcommunication between the cylinders and the manifold, valved dischargenozzles on the communicating with the cylinders, electrically operatedmeans within the cylinders for opening and closing the nozzle valves, ahousing within the vehicle having a guide pattern receiving waytherethrough, and a plurality of guide pattern scanning photoelectriccells individually and adjustably supported within said housing incooperative relation to said way adjustable thereon in parallel relationand individually connected to the individual electrically operated meansfor activating the same.

8. In combination with a vehicle, a manifold extending therefrom,photoelectric scannnig means carried by the vehicle including aplurality of relatively independently adjustable photoelectric cells, alight source in cooperative relation thereto and spaced therefrom toprovide a way therebetween, means for moving a sheet through the way,said sheet having copy matter thereon to be reproduced, a plurality ofvalved nozzles along and communicating with the manifold individuallyelectrically connected to individual photoelectric cells and operablethereby, and means on the manifold for selectively changing the angularpositioning thereof with relation to the vehicle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,716,794 Remey June 11, 1929 1,986,942 Remey Jan. 8, 1935 2,065,024Remey Dec. 22, 1936

1. AN APPARATUS FOR FORMING SMOKE CONSTITUTED CHARACTERS IN THE AIRINCLUDING, AMONGST OTHERS, LETTERS, NUMERALS, PICTURES OR SYMBOLS ORCOMBINATIONS THEREOF, COMPRISING A MANIFOLD CARRIED BY AND EXTENDIBLEFROM A VEHICLE, A PLURALITY OF RELATIVELY LONGITUDINALLY SPACED VALVEDDISCHARGE NOZZLES ON AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE MANIFOLD, ELECTRICALLYOPERATED MEANS FOR OPENING AND CLOSING THE NOZZLE VALVES, AND APLURALITY OF RELATIVELY ADJUSTABLE GUIDE PATTERN SCANNING PHOTOELECTRICCELLS INDIVIDUALLY CONNECTED TO THE INDIVIDUAL ELECTRICALLY OPERATEDMEANS FOR ACTIVATING THE SAME.